The Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum –
a meeting of all the minds in our basin.
Since 2004, the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum has been a strategic incubator for cross-border research, management collaboration, networking and communication.
The Foundation leads a partnership of agencies to organize the Forum each year. Attended each year by upwards of 160 research and resource managers, the Forum is the "hub" for all groups working to ensure the future ecological integrity of the waters of the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Basin.
Registration cutoff deadline is February 24
This is a hard-stop as we must have catering numbers locked in by then!
If you've registered for the Forum already — thank you! If not...
Register now at: https://www.lowwsf.com/register
The Forum (March 8-9, 2023) returns to an in-person event at the Minnesota North College - Rainy River campus (formerly known as the Rainy River Community College). Please note that the Foundation reception and dinner 6 pm on March 8 will be at Thunderbird Lodge on Rainy Lake (about 13 miles east of the College,
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map here
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).
The
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2023 Program & Abstracts
(641 KB)
for the 2023 International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum is now available.
A
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Speaker Schedule Quickview
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for the two day event is also available.
March 8, the Forum starts at 11:45 am CST with the kick off lunch followed by symposium sessions starting at 1:00 pm through to 4:40 pm.
Please note that the Foundation recepton and dinner 6 pm on March 8 will be at Thunderbird Lodge on Rainy Lake.
March 9, symposium sessions start at 8:30 am and end at 4:45 pm.
Registration cutoff deadline is February 24 — this is a hard-stop as we must have catering numbers locked in by then!
If you plan to attend and have not registered already, you must register by February 24! Register Now
The new AmericInn Inn, International Falls MN.
2500 Keenan Drive, International Falls MN MN (just 1 block west of the Community College site of the Forum)
There a still a few rooms left - If you haven't booked your room, call the front desk asap.
The conference block and rate of $95 USD per night plus taxes technically closed Feb 7, but front desk manager Kayla might be able to extend the block price to you!
- you must make your reservation by phone (1-218-598-8510) direct to the property and quote the group code "Water Conference". (No web booking or central 800# booking)
The 2023 Forum would not be possible without the support of many organizations:
- Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation
- Grand Council Treaty #3
- St. Cloud State University
- International Joint Commission
- Jefferson National Parks Association in cooperation with Voyageurs National Park
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Consulate General of Canada - Minneapolis, Global Affairs Canada
- Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association
- Rainy Lake Property Owners Association
- Dorset Environmental Science Centre
- Minnesota North College - Rainy River campus
- Rainy Lake Conservancy
To become a sponsor, please contact Todd Sellers, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or toll free 886-370-8891.
Kaela Natwora, PhD. candidate at the University of Minnesota Duluth Large Lakes Observatory, is a recipient of the 2023 Deborah Battigelli Memorial Award. Presented by the Foundation, on behalf of the Battigelli family, this Award provides financial assistance to graduate students to present their research at the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum.
Kaela's research is improving our understanding of how nutrients, specifically atmospheric nitrogen promotes and sustains cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) and potentially fuels toxin production in the south basin of Lake of the Woods.
Kaela will deliver a presentation at the Forum titled "Nitrogen fixation may offset nitrogen demands in Lake of the Woods cHABs, and molecular techniques reveal species responsible for toxin production".
James Benjamin (Ben) Wood, MSc. candidate at Lakehead University, is a recipient of the 2023 Deborah Battigelli Memorial Award. Presented by the Foundation, on behalf of the Battigelli family, this Award provides financial assistance to graduate students to present their research at the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum.
Ben's research is improving our understanding of how the invasive spiny water flea impacts the growth of walleye and also accumulation of mercury in these important fish that we love to eat.
Ben will deliver a presentation at the Forum titled "Impacts of Invasive Spiny Water Flea (Bythotrephes cederstroemi) on Mercury Accumulation in Northern Ontario Walleye".